Plastic adhesive cuff

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a plastic adhesive cuff that is used to prevent the base of a pant leg from being caught between the heel and the shoe of a user. The plastic adhesive cuff uses a thin, flexible plastic that has an adhesive layer such as a pressure sensitive adhesive that allows the user to apply plastic adhesive cuff to the back of the bottom of the pant leg. The plastic adhesive cuff provides a structural rigidity so that the pant leg does not fold and catch under the heel of the user while walking. The plastic adhesive cuff may extend to an elevation above the heel of the user to ensure that the bottom of the pant leg does not get caught under the user&#39;s heel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various devices have existed for controlling the cuffs and hems of pant legs for various purposes. These devices have generally been ineffective and/or awkward to use and, as such, have not generally gained acceptance or widespread use.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment may comprise of a pant system for preventing a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of the pant system comprising: a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg that extends below the heel and the shoe of the wearer; a plastic adhesive cuff releaseably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to prevent the pant leg from becoming lodged between the heel and the shoe of the wearer, the plastic layer having a size that extends from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.

Another embodiment may comprise of a plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of the pant leg, the plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg and longitudinally beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.

Another embodiment may comprise of a plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of the pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of the pant leg, the plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg and has an extension that is centered on the plastic layer that longitudinally extends beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.

Another embodiment may comprise of a method of impeding a lower, rear bottom portion of a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: providing a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to prevent the pant leg from becoming lodged between the heel and the shoe of the wearer, the plastic layer having a size that extends from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; applying an adhesive layer to the plastic layer that allows the plastic layer to be removeably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg; attaching the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg using the adhesive layer by pressing the plastic layer onto the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg; and detaching the plastic layer by peeling the plastic layer from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg, the adhesive layer allowing the plastic layer to be peeled from the pant leg without causing any damage to the pant leg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the plastic adhesive cuff installed on a pant leg showing the orientation of a user's shoe and foot with respect to the pant leg.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the plastic adhesive cuff that is affixed to the inside of a pant leg as viewed from the backside of the pant leg.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the plastic adhesive cuff attached to a pant leg as viewed from the side of the pant leg.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the front side of the plastic adhesive cuff.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the plastic adhesive cuff of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of another embodiment of a plastic adhesive cuff.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of another embodiment of a plastic adhesive cuff.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of plastic adhesive cuff 100 that is affixed to the inside of the back of the pant leg 102 with a user's foot in the pant leg, illustrating the position of the pant leg with respect to the user's foot and the position of the adhesive plastic cuff 100 with respect to the user's heel 116 and the back of the platform 112 of the open backed shoe 118. As shown in FIG. 1, the base of the pant leg 106 may be at or close to the ground level. Users typically want to look their best and have the option of wearing any desired type of shoe with any desired pair of pants without encountering problems of the pants getting caught between the heel 116 of the user and the back of the platform 112. Since users want to the look their best and wear the latest fashionable styles, which may include long pants with a flared bottom, it is desirable to be able to wear any type of fashionable shoe with fashionable pants. The adhesive plastic cuff 100 allows the user to wear any different type of shoe including sling back shoes, open back flats, clogs, mules or any other type of open back shoes without the inconvenience of the pant leg being caught between the back of the platform 112 of the open backed shoe 118 and the user's heel 116.

Since the weight of the pants tends to hold the pants in a downward direction, the adhesive plastic cuff 100 can be very thin and flexible, and as such, nearly undetectable, while still providing sufficient structural rigidity to the pant leg so that the base of the pant leg 106 does not rise and fold under the heel 116 of the user while walking. The height 114 of the plastic adhesive cuff 100 is shown in FIG. 1 as extending to an elevation that is somewhat higher than the user's heel 116. Again, since the cuff 100 extends to a height that is higher than the user's heel 116, the structural rigidity of the cuff prevents the pant leg from folding or otherwise being caught between the user's heel 116 and the back of the platform 112 of the open backed shoe 118. In that regard, the user can now be free to wear any desired type of open back shoe including the most fashionable types of open back shoes and not have to constantly pull the base of the pant leg 106 from under the user's heel 116.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the plastic adhesive cuff 100 that is shown adhesively attached to the inside of the lower portion of the back 103 of a pant leg 102. An adhesive material is coated on the outside portion of the plastic adhesive cuff that allows the plastic adhesive cuff to be affixed to the inside of the back of the pant leg 102. The adhesive is a pressure sensitive type of adhesive, such as pressure sensitive adhesives that are used on labels, stickers and other devices, that allows the plastic adhesive cuff 100 to be removeably attached to the inside of the back of the pant leg 102 by pushing the plastic adhesive cuff 100 onto the cloth material at the back of the pant leg 102, as disclosed below with respect to FIG. 5. A peel-off layer can be used over the adhesive layer that can be removed just prior to applying the plastic adhesive cuff strip to the inside of the back 103 of the pant leg 102. The pressure sensitive nature of the adhesive allows the plastic adhesive cuff to be placed on the pant leg by simply pressing the plastic adhesive cuff 100 with the user's hands onto the pant leg. Similarly, the plastic adhesive cuff 100 can be removed by peeling the plastic from the cloth of the pant leg. As shown in FIG. 2, the plastic adhesive cuff is placed inside the back of the pant leg and slightly above the base of the pant leg 106. In this fashion, the plastic adhesive cuff is hidden from view while the user is walking or standing. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 can be made of a transparent material so that the plastic adhesive cuff 100 is not easily detectable.

The plastic adhesive cuff 100 is made from a resilient, flexible plastic that can flex to conform to the curved shape of a pant leg, while providing sufficient rigidity to stabilize the shape of the pant leg in a naturally curved configuration. The thickness of the plastic may vary with the different types of plastics used. Various types of plastic films can be used including monolayer or multilayer films made from different types of plastics including polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene and various polymers and copolymers. The Dow Chemical Company offers many different types of films that are suitable for use as a plastic adhesive cuff strip. These films are available at http://plastics.dow.com. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 can also be formed in a curved shape that provides a rounded curved shape to the bottom of the pant leg 102 when the plastic adhesive cuff 100 is placed in position at the bottom of the pant leg 102. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 has a height 114 (FIG. 1) of one to several inches depending upon the specific application. For example, the base of the pant leg 106 is at or near the floor level during use, and it is desirable to make the height of the plastic adhesive cuff strip so that it extends above the back of the platform 112 of the shoe. In this fashion, the back 103 of the pant leg 102 hangs directly in a downward position and does not get caught in the shoe. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 includes a triangular structural extension 104 that extends the structural rigidity of the pant leg to a higher position on the back of the pant leg 102 so that the plastic adhesive cuff 100 maintains a shape that extends from the upper portions of the back of the pant leg 102. In other words, the structural extension 104 assists in forming the shape of the base of the pant leg 106 by using upper portions of the back 103 of the pant leg 102 so that there is a seamless and smooth transition between the upper portions of the back of the pant leg 102 and the base of the pant leg 106, which provides a pleasing and aesthetic appearance to the pant leg.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the plastic adhesive cuff 100 of FIG. 1 affixed to the back of the pant leg 102. As shown in FIG. 3, the adhesive plastic adhesive cuff 100 is affixed to the inside of the back of the pant leg at the bottom of the pant leg to assist in maintaining a structure at the base 106 of the pant leg 102 so that the base 106 of the pant leg will not get caught under the heel of the wearer who uses open back shoes. The adhesive plastic cuff is a resilient, flexible plastic strip that has a self-adhesive backing. The adhesive plastic cuff 100 may have a peel-off layer 126 (FIG. 5) that allows the user to expose the adhesive on the plastic cuff strip 100 by peeling off the peel-off layer 126. The peel-off layer 126 allows the resilient plastic layer to be releasably attached to the bottom of the pant near the cuff or hem of the pant. The thin plastic layer improves the rigidity of the pant leg and prevents the pant leg from flexing inwardly to a position between the wearer's heel and the back of the heel portion of an open heel shoe. The adhesive plastic cuff is also effective in preventing the bottom of a pant leg from becoming stuck in loafers and other types of shoes where the user's heel may separate from the back of the shoe while walking. Again, the structural extension 104 allows the adhesive plastic cuff 100 to extend upwardly to ensure sufficient structural rigidity to an elevation on the pant leg that prevents folding of the pant leg under the heel of the user.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the adhesive plastic cuff 100. The adhesive plastic cuff 100 includes a base portion 101 and a triangular structural extension 104. The triangular structural extension 104 is centered on the base portion 101 at a center line 120. The center line 120 can be aligned with the center of the back of the leg of the pants, such as at a crease position in the pant leg. To maintain the crease, the adhesive plastic cuff 100 can be folded along the center line 120, if desired, and placed on the pant leg with the fold along the center line aligned with the crease in the pant leg. In this fashion, the appearance of the crease in the pant leg can be maintained while using the plastic adhesive cuff 100.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the plastic adhesive cuff 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the adhesive layer 122 is coated on the plastic layer 124, which includes a base portion 101 and a structural extension 104. As disclosed above, the adhesive layer 122 can be a self-adhesive such as a pressure sensitive adhesive that may be used on labels, stickers or similar devices. Various types of adhesives can be used that are suitable for adhering plastic to various types of cloth. For example, Res-Q Tape by Prym Sewing is a tape that clings to fabric without leaving a residue. This product is available from Prym Consumer USA, Inc. The Universal Tape Company provides adhesive transfer tapes such as the 457 tape that is an acrylic adhesive transfer tape with 5 mils of acrylic adhesive. The adhesive bonds well with irregular surfaces such as open cell foam and woven fabric. The adhesive has a high initial adhesion and is resistant to extreme temperatures, aging, sunlight, oxidation and weathering. The tape is available in one-inch and two-inch cores. Fabrite Laminating Corporation provides adhesive lamination services for laminating fabrics to plastic film. These services are advertised at http://www.fabrite.com/serv_adhesive.html.

As also shown in FIG. 5, the adhesive layer 122 may be covered by a peel-off layer 126 which may be a plastic or paper material that can be peeled from the adhesive layer 122 to expose the adhesive layer 122 for application on the fabric. The peel-off layer 126 protects the adhesive layer and provides a convenient method for handling the adhesive layer 122 that is laminated on the plastic layer 124.

FIG. 6 is a side view of another embodiment of an adhesive plastic cuff 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the plastic layer 124 is coated on one side by an adhesive layer 122 and the other side by an adhesive layer 128. A peel-off layer 126 covers the adhesive layer 122 while a peel-off layer 130 covers the adhesive layer 128. By coating both sides with an adhesive and by using peel-off layers, the plastic adhesive cuff can be used twice rather than just once. Of course, the thickness and stiffness of the plastic layer 124 must be selected so that the plastic adhesive cuff 100 can be used either with one peel-off layer on one side or no peel-off layer on either side. If the user wishes, they can save the peel-off layer and reapply it to the adhesive on the side that has been applied to the cloth layer to prevent the plastic adhesive cuff from sticking on the shoe during use.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a plastic adhesive cuff 700. As shown in FIG. 7, the plastic adhesive cuff 700 has a base portion 701 and a rounded structural extension 702. The rounded structural extension 702 is symmetrically centered on a centerline 704 which is aligned with the center of the back of the pant leg during application. Of course, any desired shape of a structural extension can be used to achieve the desired result. For example, different types of curves including both concave and convex curves can be used that can take any shape such as a parabolic shape, spherical shape, hyperbolic shape or any desired shape. In addition, it may not be necessary to even have a structural extension on the plastic adhesive cuff if the base portion is sufficiently high to provide the sufficient structural rigidity at a high enough elevation to prevent the base of the pant leg from being caught under the heel of the user. Hence, the structural extension is not needed if the base portion is sufficiently high.

The disclosed embodiments therefore provide a convenient and inexpensive manner of preventing the bottom of a pant leg from being caught between the heel and the shoe of a user. This is accomplished by using a flexible, resilient plastic layer that has an adhesive layer that accommodates the application of the flexible plastic layer to the bottom of the back of the pant leg. The flexible, resilient plastic provides structural rigidity to prevent folding and catching of the bottom of the pant leg under the heel of the user. The plastic layer can include an extension that extends above the heel of the user to further assist in preventing the pant leg from being caught under the heel of the user. Alternatively, a base portion can be made sufficiently high to extend above the heel of the user to prevent folding and catching of the pant leg under the heel of the user so that a structural extension is not necessary. The plastic can be transparent so that the cuff is not noticeable.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art. 

1. A pant system for preventing a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of said pant system comprising: a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg that extends below said heel and said shoe of said wearer; a plastic adhesive cuff releaseably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to prevent said pant leg from becoming lodged between said heel and said shoe of said wearer, said plastic layer having a size that extends from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer; an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
 2. The pant system of claim 1 further comprising: a peel-off layer disposed on said adhesive layer that is removed prior to attaching said plastic adhesive cuff to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
 3. The pant system of claim 2 further comprising: an additional adhesive layer disposed on an additional side of said plastic layer that removeably attaches said additional side of said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg; an additional peel-off layer disposed on said additional adhesive layer.
 4. A plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of said pant leg, said plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg and longitudinally beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer; an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
 5. The plastic adhesive cuff of claim 4 further comprising: a peel-off layer disposed on said adhesive layer that is removed prior to attaching said plastic adhesive cuff to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
 6. The plastic adhesive cuff of claim 5 further comprising: an additional adhesive layer disposed on an additional side of said plastic layer that removeably attaches said additional side of said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg; an additional peel-off layer disposed on said additional adhesive layer.
 7. A plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of said pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of said pant leg, said plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg and has an extension that is centered on said plastic layer that longitudinally extends beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer; an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
 8. A method of impeding a lower, rear bottom portion of a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: providing a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to prevent said pant leg from becoming lodged between said heel and said shoe of said wearer, said plastic layer having a size that extends from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer; applying an adhesive layer to said plastic layer that allows said plastic layer to be removeably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg; attaching said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg using said adhesive layer by pressing said plastic layer onto said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg; detaching said plastic layer by peeling said plastic layer from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg, said adhesive layer allowing said plastic layer to be peeled from said pant leg without causing any damage to said pant leg. 